Is the Obama White House photo policy reminiscent of Soviet propaganda?

posted at 10:01 am on November 27, 2013 by Ed Morrissey

It’s been fifteen months since the last mainstream media revolt against the White House, and this one looks less impressive than its predecessor. The White House press corps began slamming the Obama administration for its failure to give them access to the President in the late summer of 2012, as Barack Obama chose to spend time with entertainment media and local news stations rather than answer tough questions about his record. Jake Tapper led the pushback in August 2012, but in the end Obama got the last laugh — and the national media played into the strategy by going after a much more accessible Mitt Romney instead.

The latest pushback is a wan imitation of the first. It started last month, when a photographer from the New York Times told Jay Carney that the exclusion of outside photographers at the White House was the equivalent of Soviet-era propaganda efforts. National Journal’s Ron Fournier captured the moment, and agreed with Doug Mills that the current administration was running a “monopolistic propaganda” machine with taxpayer funds:

New York Times photographer Doug Mills strode into Jay Carney’s office Oct. 29 with a pile of pictures taken exclusively by President Obama’s official photographer at events the White House press corps was forbidden to cover. “This one,” Mills said, sliding one picture after another off his stack and onto the press secretary’s desk. “This one, too–and this one and this one and …”

The red-faced photographer, joined by colleagues on the White House Correspondents’ Association board, finished his 10-minute presentation with a flourish that made Carney, a former Moscow correspondent for Time, wince.

“You guys,” Mills said, “are just like Tass.”

Comparing the White House to the Russian news agency is a hyperbole, of course, but less so with each new administration. Obama’s image-makers are taking advantage of new technologies that democratized the media, subverting independent news organizations that hold the president accountable. A generation ago, a few mainstream media organizations held a monopoly on public information about the White House. Today, the White House itself is behaving monopolistically.

The fast-moving trend is hampering reporters and videographers who cover the White House, but Mills’s profession has probably been hardest hit. “As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist’s camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public from having an independent view of important functions of the Executive Branch of government,” reads a letter delivered today to Carney by the WHCA and several member news organizations including The Associated Press and The New York Times.

The letter includes examples of important news events that were not covered by media photographers, and yet pictures were taken by the White House image team and widely distributed via social media. This happens almost daily.

The White House responded by having their official photographer take a picture of the media photographers at the White House. That didn’t quiet down the revolt, however. Today, Dana Milbank takes up where Fournier left off:

I asked Pete Souza, a White House photographer, whether other photos of his have been altered. He sent me to deputy press secretary Josh Earnest, who said that altering photos would be done only to protect classified information and that he didn’t know of other instances. He defended the photo releases generally, telling reporters, “There are certain circumstances where it is simply not feasible to have independent journalists in the room when the president is making decisions.”

You don’t have to alter photographs to make them misleading. Releasing photos selected to show the president in the most flattering way can also create a less-than-honest portrait of history. These often go out on the White House’s Flickr account and are picked up for free and repackaged by disreputable news services and published by unsuspecting media outlets. News photographers are angry because it threatens their livelihood. We all should be concerned that it smacks of propaganda.

All true, and valid points. However, while photojournalism is indeed important, it’s not as if Milbank’s associates in the WHCA made it their mission to push past the propaganda in ways wide open to them. Just to give a couple of examples: Barack Obama spent the last five-plus years as candidate and President insisting that his health-care plan would not force anyone to lose existing coverage or access to their current providers. That was as demonstrably false three-plus years ago after the passage of ObamaCare as it is obvious today. Where was the WHCA in dealing with that propaganda?

Or another: For more than two weeks after the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the beat reporters at the White House seemed awfully willing to accept the idea that the entire incident was nothing more than a demonstration over a months-old YouTube video that got out of control. Anyone questioning that explanation got dismissed as “playing politics,” until it became obvious that even the White House never believed that story. And to this day, no one seems interested in demanding an accounting for Obama’s actions on that night.

Besides, as Steve Gutowski commented on Twitter when Fournier published his piece, it wasn’t the White House photographer that kept publishing photographs of Obama with ersatz halos around his head.

That doesn’t necessarily detract from the specific points Fournier and Milbank are making in these essays. They are correct about the impact of state-controlled media coverage, which is essentially what we have regarding White House photography now. It’s just that for most of Obama’s presidency, we haven’t seen much better from the rest of the industry either.

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When Obama is sitting in the Rose Garden, a morbidly obese child next to him, signing Obamacare…….. Does it really matter if it is a government photographer or a photog from the White House press corpse?

It is these very same media outlets who are Obama’s puppet masters. They instruct him to lie low and the pretend outrage is to make Republicans more accessible. The ‘rat propagandists are through when Republicans learn that they don’t have to treat them as legitimate media.

deputy press secretary Josh Earnest, who said that altering photos would be done only to protect classified information

Making Barry look good is not protecting national security. Of course a free press would have exposed the traitor long ago, but we get stuck with a media complaining that Barry wears protections as they perform their kneepad duties.

Poor babies, they know they’re being left out and they want their chance to lie, grovel, ask set up questions, campaign for, control and praise this hapless slug in the WH. Photos, text, whatever, a slut is a slut and they have to do their thing.

The whole photography flap just gives me the giggles. As with Obama supporters who’ve been screwed by Obamacare, but were OK-fine when other people’s oxes were being gored, I’m inclined more toward Schadenfreude than sympathy.

No dictator, no Fascist government, ever came to power with promises of destruction. Clothed in the mantel of hope, change, helping out the working stiff, caring for the children, going after the evil rich, the capitalists, the exploiters…that is how they found root…same script, different times.

And, now, finally, after years of heading down the path toward a progressive utopia, toward a rapidly approaching end to individual liberty and freedoms, folks are just now complaining?

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

Hmm. Given that these pictures were taken using public funds, is any of the above legal?

I can’t wait for this Marxist to step down from the throne. No more White House propaganda machine. No more MSM ignoring his mistakes and exaggerating his illusory accomplishments. No more protective government bureaucrats whose very livelihood depend on his largesse. Obama will still do very well economically (as all ex-presidents do)but without the multiple spin machines, he will be exposed to the world as the WORST president EVAH!!!!!

USA Today and the News Tribune of Tacoma declared they will not use WH photos any longer, unless under extraordinary circumstances. If the rest of the MSM follows suit, the WH will have no choice but to allow press photographers.

Take the deal in San Fran.. where the kid jumps up and demands an end to “deportee” , no one gets near him, Obama is all ready to talk kind and gentle to the kid, just to the left of the kid on the vid, an older guy,,, sits smiling. The guy never attempts to get the kid to sit down, just smiles as the kid recites the lies rehearsed prior.

Perhaps they will wake up? Nah. Losing $$ year after year never made them curious. They will disappear – as will their desire to actually hold democrats responsible for anything.

Zomcon JEM on November 27, 2013 at 10:43 AM

I’m increasingly convinced that they will not disappear due to economic failure. The outlets will continue to be bought up by wealthy individuals and organizations to be used as pure propaganda organs disconnected from direct economic consequences.

90% of the output of these Washington photographers is drivel anyway. What’s the point of a gaggle of shutterbugs crouched in front of congressional committees, snapping thousands of pix? Who cares if 30 photogs record Obummer picking his nose while “deciding” something that Valerie already decided for him?

Let me get this straight, the mainstream propagandists for the progressive-fascist agenda are complaining about the WH propaganda efforts to highlight the Dear Leader and his progressive-fascist Administration?

I’ll concede that the since much of the lapdog media emulates TASS and Pravda in their reporting of the state, they are experts in Soviet style propaganda. But they are upset they aren’t the ones highlighting the President in the most glowing light?

I’m slightly amused by this kerfuffle – given the lapdog media’s history of propagandizing Barack Obama. That the WH is holding the line it does just confirms that the primary focus on this petulant narcissistic community organizer is campaigning / selling his divisive and bankrupt agenda…and not governing or leading. It’s all about politics and imagery – not unlike what we see from totalitarians around the world.

Whatever he says: expect the opposite:
Post racial / post partisan
Negotiation / reach across fence with Republicans
Heal the nation
Bring nation together
Most transparent ever
Most ethical ever
No lobby-policy
Restore american prestige in the world

There’s a very simple response, the old media should forbid the use of any official White House photographer stock, and use old stuff no matter how unrelated to the story and no matter how uncomplimentary.

Colmes exposed himself to be what he always is, a horse’s azz. Carlson Tucker had him for b-fast and spit him out, and he was still going. Tucker “obama is hated in DC and across the land, had to go to Hollyweird to be ‘loved’ by the Katzenbergs, for green energy, amnesty and other bullchit…he hates the middle/lower classes and they are full of Starnesvilles across the land…why doesn’t he visit them and do something for them, instead of the fat cats?” a.s.o., paraphrased.

“Why is all about obama’care’ now…Romney…Bush…wonderful obama…gave insurance to all the poor who didn’t have it”….

“What about the millions who lost it?” Tucker

“Bla, bla, bla, obama is great for the stock market….same ol'” Colmes

Indeed. obama is a 1%r, who enriches them and himself, and destroys the middle class. Fall for him and be destroyed by him. Sheepleton, you deserve him and his destruction in full, you morons.

Of course it is. If you want a more modern example, try North Korea…it’s very difficult to tell the difference between a lot of that propaganda and the stuff they’re shoveling out to us here. We even have a “monument” where he and Michelle first kissed, supposedly. Yeah, the press bought into it as well, because it’s mostly Democrat-run anyway, but that doesn’t lessen the lengths this admin has gone to create a cult of personality around him.

Besides, as Steve Gutowski commented on Twitter when Fournier published his piece, it wasn’t the White House photographer that kept publishing photographs of Obama with ersatz halos around his head.

Bingo. It’s impossible to have any sympathy for these media-arm-of-the-donkey-party putzes, and it’s amusingly ironic to have one of them comparing Barry-O’s propaganda team to TASS — they consider that a compliment, not a slight.

Besides, every time I see one of those “Saint Barry” halo photos, I remember what happened every time John Ashcroft gave a press conference with that bare-breasted statue of Lady Justice in the background. The jerk-offs photographing the events would contort themselves and even lie down on the floor to get a shot of Ashcroft with a tit in the background; it finally got so pathetic that the statue was covered over, just to get them to knock it off.

That Barry-O and his handlers would use the donk media tools for what they are should surprise no one, least of all those same donk media tools.

Photographic propaganda worries me little. The LIV can be fully taken in with much less sophisticated tools than that. My concern is that Obummer consistently ignores and defiles the Constitution. We are not led, we are ruled, and the rule of law means nothing. And where is the public outcry for impeachment (the only legal and peaceful cure for a rogue President)? Crickets……………………………

Why ban the photo journalists, it’s not like they were printing the true picture of dear leader anyway. Something must be really amiss in the WH. This is just like Killary banning the msm from some of her speeches.

It’s the presidential following that’s so sickening; When Bill and Hillary stopped at a restaurant in central NY I had the opportunity to talk to the staff at the restaurant and they said it was awful the way people acted and all wanted to see the First Couple standing on private property and in peoples flower beds and refusing to move off private property. The staff that accompany the First Couple stole ornaments and pictures hanging on the walls of the restaurant and were very rude while they were there; many didn’t pay for their meal and the waitresses said the ones that did pay were terrible tippers and the whole restaurant staff was glad to see them all leave for they left the place in a mess. The msm rarely covers stories like this.

It’s the presidential following that’s so sickening; When Bill and Hillary stopped at a restaurant in central NY I had the opportunity to talk to the staff at the restaurant and they said it was awful the way people acted and all wanted to see the First Couple standing on private property and in peoples flower beds and refusing to move off private property. The staff that accompany the First Couple stole ornaments and pictures hanging on the walls of the restaurant and were very rude while they were there; many didn’t pay for their meal and the waitresses said the ones that did pay were terrible tippers and the whole restaurant staff was glad to see them all leave for they left the place in a mess. The msm rarely covers stories like this.

mixplix on November 27, 2013 at 5:00 PM

You will always hear this about Democratics, in fact even from White House wait staff.

There has always been staged pictures for the media. I do not have problem with this concept. President Obama has his people in more control than other President do because he has made so many mistakes and done so many things corrupt that he has has to have damage control people on staff. They have done a good job. This perceived persona is what got him re-elected along with voter fraud.